2018 EFL League Two play-off final

In the matches played between the two sides during the regular season, each team won their home game, with Coventry winning 2–1 at the Ricoh Arena in September 2017 and Exeter victorious at St James Park 1–0 the following January.[11] McNulty was the highest scorer for Coventry with 23 league goals during the season while Stockley was Exeter's top marksman with 19 goals during the league campaign.[12]

Exeter City manager Paul Tisdale was confident in his team's chances of victory, reflecting on their previous season's failure at Wembley, suggesting that his players had "experience of the build-up, the logistics, the preparations and what it felt like to lose".[13] His counterpart Mark Robins was cautious, noting that Coventry were "one step away but you don't want to tempt fate".[13] During the build-up to the final, Tisdale was linked to a move away from Exeter, in particular to Milton Keynes Dons.[14] He was the longest-serving manager in England's top four divisions following the retirement of Arsène Wenger, having been at Exeter for twelve years. Tisdale's contract was due for renewal in November 2018 and Richard Foster of The Guardian reported that Tisdale was "keeping his options open" in order to make a decision after the play-offs.[15] Steve Perryman, Exeter's director of football was to retire after the final having fulfilled the role at the club for fifteen years.[16] Coventry City sold around 37,000 tickets for the match, substantially outnumbering the opposition fans.[13]

The referee for the match was David Webb, who had officiated Coventry once during the regular season, a 2–1 home win over Cheltenham Town in December. He had also officiated Exeter City in the previous year's play-off semi-final at Carlisle United. The assistant referees were Adrian Waters and Dean Treleaven, with John Brooks named as the fourth official. Sam Lewis was the reserve assistant referee.[17]

Robins named an unchanged side from the team that won the second leg of the play-off semi-final against Notts County. Tisdale made one change to the Exeter squad, with Craig Woodman starting and Robbie Simpson dropping into the substitutes.[14] Coventry wore a one-off kit commissioned for the match as the club had run out of their regular season home strip.[13] Prior to the match, Exeter fans commemorated their former player Adam Stansfield with a giant number nine shirt. Stansfield had died in 2010 at the age of 31 from cancer and the club retired his shirt for the following nine years.[14] After the players were introduced to a group of dignitaries, the national anthem was sung by Faryl Smith.[14]

Coventry City kicked the match off at around 3:00 p.m. on 28 May 2018 in hot and sunny conditions, with a pitchside temperature of 30 °C (86 °F), in front of a Wembley Stadium crowd of 50,196. McNulty won an early corner for Coventry but Exeter cleared the ball. In the sixth minute, McNulty attempted a volley from outside the Exeter penalty area, but his shot went over the crossbar. Nine minutes later, Coventry had another chance but Jordan Storey's tackle on McNulty neutralised the threat.[14] On 18 minutes Christy Pym saved a low 25-yard (23 m) shot from McNulty before a Shipley strike was deflected out for a corner. In the 23rd minute, a cross from Jack Grimmer was mishit by Bayliss, going out for an Exeter goal kick. Two minutes later, Coventry were temporarily reduced to ten men when Chris Stokes was forced to leave the pitch for medical attention after he was accidentally struck in the face by Stockley. Exeter won a corner on 29 minutes but Stockley's header was gathered by the Coventry goalkeeper Lee Burge. On 31 minutes, Harley's strike was also caught by Burge, before Shipley's long-distance shot was saved by Pym. After three minutes of additional time, the half was brought to a goalless end.[18]

Coventry City players celebrate after scoring their third goal

No changes were made to either team during half time and Exeter kicked off the second half. Two minutes in, a pass from Bayliss found McNulty whose shot from close range was saved by Pym. A minute later, the deadlock was broken as Coventry took a 1–0 lead through Jordan Willis who turned and shot from outside the box, his strike curling past Pym. Three minutes later, Coventry made their first substitution of the afternoon with Biamou being replaced by Jonson Clarke-Harris. On 53 minutes, they doubled their lead as a deflected shot from Shipley beat Pym in the Exeter goal. Two consecutive corners for Exeter came to nothing while a 40-yard (37 m) strike from Shipley went wide. In the 62nd minute, Exeter made a double substitution, with Woodman and Dean Moxey being replaced by Lloyd James and Matt Jay. On 68 minutes, Grimmer made it 3–0 to Coventry with a curling shot from the edge of the area. Six minutes later, both sides made further substitutions, Shipley replaced by Kyel Reid for Coventry and Kyle Edwards coming on for Boateng for Exeter. In the 75th minute, Exeter went close with Harley's dipping shot saved by Burge.[16] With twelve minutes of regulation time remaining, Pym was forced to make a save from a curling Bayliss shot before Jay's long-range strike for Exeter was gathered by Burge. In the 83rd minute, Coventry made their final change, with Jordan Ponticelli coming on for McNulty. Five minutes later Clarke-Harris' shot from distance went astray before Edwards scored a consolation goal for Exeter with another curled strike. Four minutes into additional time, Stockley's header was saved by Burge before another shot from the Exeter striker went wide of the Coventry post. The match ended 3–1 to Coventry who were promoted to League One.[19]